Taggarts Woman

She sighed. ‘I’ll try not to be intrusive on your life in any way.’

‘I never wanted a wife!’ he exclaimed with impatient anger.

‘I promise you——’

‘Don’t make me any promises, Heather,’ he scorned. ‘Women are notorious for breaking them!’

She would like to think, much as it would also pain her, that he had once cared enough for a woman to have been hurt by her; at least then she could have some hope that he was capable of love! But she was sure that wasn’t how he had come to his biased conclusion concerning women, he didn’t seem to care for anyone.

‘Then only time will show you that I mean what I say,’ she sighed. ‘I’ll intrude on your life and time as little as possible.’

‘Except to look at houses, to no doubt help shop for furniture for that house, to dictate that there will be no other women in my life——’

‘You dictated that there shouldn’t be any other men in mine,’ she retorted fierily, her tempestuous nature not completely cowed by her efforts to reassure him. ‘I retain the right to make the same conditions over you.’

‘For two months,’ he reminded her grimly.

An angry blush darkened her cheeks. ‘I’m sure it will pass quickly—for both of us.’

‘I hope so!’

Heather sighed. ‘You aren’t giving this relationship a chance if you’re going to be counting the days until you can go back to your mistress——Why do you keep looking at your watch?’ she demanded impatiently as he glanced at it for the third time in the last ten minutes.

His mouth twisted with cruel mockery. ‘We aren’t married yet!’

‘I only asked——’ She broke off, looking at him closely as his meaning suddenly became crystal clear. ‘Do you have—somewhere else to go tonight?’ she queried haltingly, wishing it not to be true.

‘Yes,’ he rasped with satisfaction.

She swallowed hard, knowing exactly where that ‘somewhere else’ was—to his mistress, Cassandra! But as he had so viciously pointed out, they weren’t married yet, and even if they were, she doubted he would particularly care if he humiliated her; he hated her because he had been trapped into marrying her.

‘Do you have to go to her tonight?’ she frowned.

He shrugged broad shoulders. ‘Why not?’

‘I——You could always stay here instead.’ Her eyes were wide with apprehension—and anticipation!

‘Thanks for the offer,’ he derided. ‘But in a month’s time I’m not going to have a choice about who I share my bed—and my body with; right now, I do!’

Heather flinched as if he had hit her. She hadn’t made the suggestion lightly, she just hated the thought of him going to the other woman! But she could see by the satisfied gleam in Daniel’s eyes that he was enjoying hurting her, that he had far from forgiven her for her involvement in this enforced marriage. As if she would have wanted him as her husband in this way, given a choice!

‘In that case, I have the same choice,’ she retaliated lightly. ‘And it isn’t too late to give—a friend a call.

Daniel’s eyes narrowed to icy grey slits. ‘Wingate?’ he scorned.

‘Perhaps,’ she said non-committally, standing up. ‘I really shouldn’t keep you any longer…’ she added pointedly.

‘My, you are in a hurry to finish what we started earlier, aren’t you?’ he taunted, following her out into the hallway.

She stood her ground without blushing—much as her cheeks burned! ‘No more so than you appear to be,’ she mocked.

He halted at the front door. ‘If I hadn’t told Cassandra that I would see her tonight…’ He trailed off softly.

‘I wouldn’t want you to disappoint her,’ Heather snapped angrily, holding the door open, all the household staff still busy in the main lounge.

‘No,’ he sighed, one of his hands moving to lightly caress her cheek with his thumb-pad. ‘Perhaps anticipation will be good for the soul,’ he taunted. ‘It seems that the wedding night I thought would be such an ordeal won’t be so bad after all!’

Before Heather could come back with a suit-ably cutting retort he had walked off into the darkness, his chuckle at her speechlessness carrying to her on the night air.

She closed the door with a slam. Damn him, he had almost made her beg for what he now admitted he had anticipated with dread! He——

She turned sharply as the doorbell rang. If he thought he could come back and change his mind now he was sadly mistaken!

‘Phillip!’ she gasped, after furiously wrenching the door open. She had told Daniel she intended calling the other man, but really Phillip was the last person she had expected to see again tonight!

CHAPTER THREE (#ubda5bf1a-88b2-55d2-8f6c-3626bf3fcd7b)

‘CAN I come in?’ Phillip prompted softly, as Heather continued to stare at him in astonishment.

‘I——Of course,’ she invited abruptly. After the way he had walked out earlier she hadn’t expected to see him again at all, let alone now!

She led the way to the small sitting-room, facing him awkwardly. ‘It’s late,’ she said unnecessarily; they were both aware of the fact that it was one o’clock in the morning. ‘Daniel just left,’ she added uncomfortably, as she saw his gaze linger on the two empty coffee cups.

‘I know.’ His hair was golden in the glow of the overhead chandelier. ‘I saw him leave. In fact, I deliberately waited until he’d gone before ringing the bell.’

She frowned at this disclosure. ‘You did?’

‘Hm,’ Phillip nodded, his expression rueful. ‘I wanted to apologise for my behaviour earlier, and I didn’t particularly want to have to do it in front of Taggart.’ His deep blue eyes had hardened a little as he spoke of the other man, his good looks in no doubt, his features almost too perfect for a man, his body lithe and attractive in the dark evening suit.

‘I understood earlier why you felt you had to leave,’ she sighed. ‘All this has been very awkward for you.’

‘Worse than that,’ he groaned. ‘Heather, I love you, and it’s killing me to see you preparing to marry another man!’

They had been close the last year, good friends, occasionally a little more than that, but only a little more; she liked to be kissed and held as much as the next person. But she had never expected a declaration of love from him, it just hadn’t been that sort of a relationship. At least, not as far as she was concerned.

‘I’m sorry, Phillip,’ she sounded breathless, ‘your friendship has meant a lot to me——’

‘Friendship!’ he repeated scornfully. ‘You had to realise I was falling in love with you!’

Had she? They had seen each other a couple of times a week, enjoyed each other’s company, occasionally shared a few pleasant kisses, but did that mean a man was falling in love with her. She hadn’t thought so, had imagined being swept away in a maelstrom of wild emotions—much like she had known in Daniel’s arms such a short time ago!—when she loved, not feel the warmth of friendship.

‘I didn’t, Phillip,’ she told him truthfully. ‘I just thought we liked each other.’

He looked angry. ‘But you can’t be in love with a man like Taggart!’

She stiffened at the condescension he obviously felt for the man who employed him. ‘Why can’t I?’

‘Because you’re soft, and beautiful, totally lovable—and he’s a callous bastard!’ Phillip rasped harshly. ‘He isn’t capable of loving anyone!’